Final Update

----- Original Message -----

Radiation is done! Yeah! Treatment is finally over! WooHoo!

And we even get to go to Dragon*Con in Atlanta. Yippee!

Now things enter a maintenance phase, much less week to week or day to day. After eight months, we are finally free from a schedule.

I've decided not to send any further updates. In summary, Karen has a follow-up with the medical oncologist and the radio-oncologist in two weeks (8/13 & 8/15) and a follow-up with the surgeon in November. The port should be removed either near the end of this year or the beginning of next. She will take Tamoxifen daily for five years as an extension of chemotherapy. There will be tests and scans to make sure nothing is coming back. That's how it lays out today.

I have tried to thank you each individually for the things you've done during all of this. But in case I missed someone... Thank you for the cards, the plants, the flowers, the thoughts and prayers. Thank you for the letters, the phone calls, the visits, the e-mails. Thank you for the knitting and the hats. Thank you for the food, the meals that stocked our freezer, the lunches, the dinners, the coffees, the sunset. Thank you for the books. Thank you for the bear. Thank you for the all gifts. Thank you for the invitations even if we couldn't always accept. Thank you for the offers of assistance. Thank you for watering her plants and keeping her office rodent free. Thank you for taking care of the cats so we can go to Atlanta. Thank you for offering to stay behind so we could get away. Thank you for waiting with me that first time.

And a few special people to note, though I'll spare them the embarrassment of naming names. The one in the Golden State who we clung to as hers and Karen's treatments progressed. Two in the Bay Colony, the one who e-mailed Karen every day, and the one who picked me up each time I fell down. In the Sunshine State, the one who called on Sundays while Karen was home, and the two who came out for coffee every other week. In the chat room, the one who had walked Karen's path before and whose support, advice and encouragement eased her transition from cancer victim to cancer survivor. I hope you each know who you are as your company made this adventure tolerable on its darkest days.

When all this started, Karen asked me to send out these updates. Most of you asked to be kept informed. Some never did but I sent them anyway. I tried to take notes at each appointment, partially for us, partially to be able to relate what I had learned. I took the responsibility seriously, second only to taking care of Karen. Updates were usually written after getting her settled, but before my own food or sleep.

The creative messages attempted to put into words what we were going through and the impressions that it left. Though they were partially my own distraction and more for Karen's entertainment than anyone else's, those, too, I tried to get them out a timely manner. Many got started in waiting rooms throughout the county. They each took about three days to complete. The voice and language surprised even me. More received them than ever asked. Two more and those chronicles are complete. Then only nine will receive my ramblings unless I hear from others.

Now that my duty has been discharged, I return you to your own regularly

scheduled adventure. Thanks for sharing the path on ours a while.

----- End Original Message -----

(This was the last update sent out to the full e-mail list. The remaining updates went out to a handful of friends and family who were still interested).